14/02/2007 - Horag Racing to Compete in LMS in 2007

SULGEN, Switzerland, Feb. 14 - Horag Racing owner Markus Hotz is pleased to announce that his team will again field a Lola Judd in the LMP2 class of the Le Mans Series (LMS) this year.

Its drivers will be veterans Fredy Lienhard of Niederteufen, Switzerland; Belgium native Didier Theys of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Eric van de Poele of Sart-Risbart, Belgium.

The car is the team's Lola B05/40 updated to the 2007 specifications. It is sponsored by Lista, the worldwide leader in modular storage units, and Lista Office LO, a state-of-the-art office furniture products company. It uses Michelin tires.

At this time the team plans to do at least the first five of the six LMS events, which are all in Europe. It will add the season finale in Brazil if additional sponsorship is obtained. All are 1,000-kilometer events that take about six hours to complete.

In addition to the European LMS races, the team will also enter the 2007 American Le Mans Series season opener, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, next month in Sebring, Fla. It may compete in that series' Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., in October too.

Horag Racing has 35 years of proven results in the sport. It has been campaigning this latest car since 2005 with success right from the start, winning its class at the Nurburgring in Germany that year. The team competed in four of five LMES races in 2005 to finish fourth in the final LMP2 point standings out of 13 teams.

It was also on the podium at the 2006 Petit Le Mans in September, finishing third in the LMP2 class.

Quotes follow:

Fredy Lienhard: "I'm looking forward to the new season very much. I don't anticipate having as many business commitments this year as I have had in years past, which will give me more time to enjoy my passion for racing. That said, I am happy to introduce my new sponsor, Lista Office LO, a state-of-the-art office furniture company. It will be fun to promote both Lista and Lista Office LO in racing this year.

"2007 is my 42nd overall year in the sport and 13th racing season in the United States. This in itself is quite special, isn't it?

"We have two excellent pro drivers in Didier and Eric. It's an honor for me to team with them."

Didier Theys: "I can't wait for the new season to begin. This is my 30th season in racing. I've been training very hard, and I feel personally and as a team that we are up to the challenge.

"We don't have the resources of the factory teams, but it is wonderful to race with your friends. We know each other, we work well together, and we trust each other. Team chemistry is not something that you can buy.

"We'll be racing at some of the best tracks in the world. We have a competitive package. I'm sure that everyone on this team will do their best, which is all that anyone can ask, and I know that I will also do my best.

"I can't wait!"

Eric van de Poele: "I'm very excited to race again with my friends, Didier and Fredy. Of course to drive a car prepared by Horag was also a very important factor in my decision.

"I'm very happy to be joining a team for a complete season. This will give us more time to find the package's true potential.

"It's an advantage to be with a team like Horag Racing, which has been working together for so many years. Our biggest strength is our good working relationship and teamwork. The reliability of the car, the team and the engine are strong points too.

"All three of us drivers know what we can and can't do on the racetrack. We are not going to over-drive and make crazy things happen. That said, I also won't give Judd, Markus and my teammates a holiday. I still race to win, and nothing will change my passion for winning."

Markus Hotz: "We're in the process of changing the car to the '07 specifications. It will have a new nose. Primarily the updates consist of some aerodynamic improvements. It is great to have Kevin Doran's help in America in order to accomplish this before the Sebring race.

"It is great that we have very experienced drivers. The drivers and the team will try their best to not make mistakes. In the year and a half that we have raced it, we have shown that we have a good car and engine. We can't match the Porsches or some of the others in speed during qualifying, but the race is decided at the finish line, not at the starting line.

"The drivers all mentioned our good team spirit. I feel good about that, as I feel that's part of my job. Both technical and mental preparation is very important.

"I think it's great that the ALMS is using ethanol, and some other American series are as well. The United States is more advanced than Europe in the move to green fuel. Here in Europe we're just talking about it; America is moving on it. I think it's important for motorsports to show the public that there are ways we can reduce the greenhouse effect quite easily, and I'm glad we're doing this."

For more information on the team, see horag.com and restartcommunications.com. For more information on the LMS, see lmes.com. For more information on the ALMS, see americanlemans.com and imsaracing.net.